Tehran, Iran – Fatemeh Soltani, an 18-year-old woman who had fled her abusive home in search of safety and independence, was brutally murdered by her father in a public street in Tehran on April 17, according to international media and women’s rights organizations.
Soltani, who worked at a local nail salon, was reportedly stabbed while taking a phone call outside her workplace. Some reports state that her father beheaded her before repeatedly stabbing her. The young woman had been living separately due to ongoing domestic violence, and had achieved a level of financial independence, Iran International reported.
Police identified the attacker as Soltani’s 48-year-old father, who allegedly tracked her down through her business’s Instagram account. He later confessed to the killing, citing a “family dispute” as his motive, though other sources suggest deeper reasons, including resentment over her independence and a desire to conceal his own infidelity.
Footage of the attack has circulated online, intensifying public outrage. Her brother has since taken over her social media account, posting tributes to honor her memory.
In response, the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran issued a strong condemnation, blaming Iran’s long-standing failure to protect women. “The root of the violence against women and the primary cause of these murders lies in the misogynistic clerical regime, which, in over 46 years, has not even passed a bill to prevent violence against women,” the committee stated.
They called on the UN Special Rapporteurs on Iran and on violence against women to urgently investigate the case and to consider expelling the Iranian regime’s representatives from international institutions.
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